The last part. Part 4. :)
He helped her clean up and put everything back in its proper place. Crane didn't know how he'd be able to repay Abbie for her kindness and support.
"Abbie, I do want to thank you again for being there for me. You gave me the space to be the broken man I am." He took her hands, kissed them, and bowed for her.
"Hey, I already told you it's no problem."
"I would very much like to return the favor."
She lifted her eyebrow.
He wiggled his fingers. "I would like to hold you as well. You need space to be broken and to breathe, too. That's what I want you to have."
She bit her lip to keep from crying and looked elsewhere. "If you say so."
"I do say so." He extended his hand. "Come."
She took it.
She let herself be held. She let herself breathe. She let herself cry. Crane felt unbreakable to her, like he could absorb all her shit and somehow have enough energy to deal with his own. He kissed her forehead, slipped a hand through her hair, rubbed her back. He was everything she needed right then.
Yes, her sister and Joe were there. They offered their shoulders that she refused. It was probably because she took it upon herself to take care of them. She was the oldest, which meant putting herself aside to make sure they were okay. There wasn't really a moment for her until she found herself alone in her room or in her studio. Those were the only places she'd let herself undo.
And she was undoing again, except she wasn't alone. Someone was stronger than her for once. Someone was there to watch her break and put her together when she could barely do it herself. She didn't know how she'd be able to thank Crane enough for giving her this.
When she finally gathered herself, she smiled at him and touched both his cheeks.
"It's no problem, Leftenant."
She liked hearing that on his tongue, her term of endearment. They were way passed crossing boundaries. This was intimacy.
She nuzzled her nose against his; his finger played with her cheek. She kissed his lips with her eyes open while his widened. Then he shut them, pulled her closer. She stood on her tip toes. And they thanked each other with their tongues and their sighs and their small moans and their soft squeezes. But after a while, the thanking stopped.
"Do I keep the portrait?" he said in her hair.
She kissed his neck. "Yes."
"It is lovely. I do mean that. I'll put it some place special."
She removed herself from his arms and went over to her table, where she found an extra Command strip. She carried the canvas over to the wall where the others were and stuck the strip on the wall. Then she hung up his painting.
"I'm quite honored, Miss Abbie, but you do not have to do this."
"I want to. I really appreciate what you've given me tonight."
"You deserve nothing less."
She didn't know how else to respond to his sincerity, so she kissed him again. "We should keep in contact."
"If you say so." He turned her around in his arms, so they stared at the wall of her work.
She twined their fingers and felt his chin on her neck. "I do say so."
He smiled into her ear. "Good. Would you mind telling me about the rest of the colors, Leftenant?"
And she did.